Porsche To Be A No-Show In Detroit
The automaker from Stuttgart that's never owned Chrysler has made the decision to ditch the Detroit Auto Show this year as part of "reorganizing its trade-fair activities in North America." That reorg includes culling the North American International Auto Show from the list of places to show up. They're claiming it's because Porsche wants to make a "greater emphasis on direct contact with potential customers, motor show activities will in future be concentrated in the main sales areas of Porsche Cars North America." So instead of Detroit, they'll be instead be showing up at Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Toronto. I guess we can't blame Porsche for wanting to exit the population-reduced Detroit market. Still, you'd think the deluge of media folks who show up for Detroit would more than outweigh the less-than-powerful population-power of the show. Because everyone knows the attention of folks with the dough to spend on a Porsche can't be captured with television, the internet and the print press. These money-laden few only do their car shopping by waiting in line for an hour to spend $10 to enter a sweaty people-packed auto show for a three-second glimpse of the side of the cars they're interested in buying. I can't tell you how many Rockefellers and Guggeheims I've pushed aside for my own glimpse. Full press release below the jump.
Porsche restructures North American motor show activities
Stuttgart/Atlanta. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany, is reorganizing its trade-fair activities in North America, in close collaboration with its sales company in Atlanta. As part of the general reduction in trade-fair appearances which began two years ago, in favor of greater emphasis on direct contact with potential customers, motor show activities will in future be concentrated in the main sales areas of Porsche Cars North America (PCNA). Of the North American trade fairs in 2008, Porsche will among others be attending those in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Toronto. The company is no longer expected to attend the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
As a successful supplier of sporty premium vehicles, Porsche is an exclusive niche manufacturer in the USA and Canada, just as it is elsewhere. Despite consistently achieving record sales figures, Porsche constantly strives to use its limited resources in the most efficient, customer-oriented manner possible. Of the 36,669 vehicles delivered to customers in North America by Porsche during its record 2005/06 fiscal year, over 20,000 were destined for the West and East Coasts. These results go to show that the restructuring of trade-fair activities was a strategic company decision that is bearing fruit.
Related:
North America Is Not Enough: New York Throws Down The World Car Of The Year Cock-Block [internal]